CNET Top 5: Moments in Bill Gates' career Video

CNET Top 5: Moments in Bill Gates' career Video Transcript

Welcome to CNET Top 5, where each time we meet we count down another hot CNET list. I'm Tom Merritt. Bill Gates is stepping down from Microsoft. Oh he'll still be working. The man never stops. But he will no longer be putting in 100-hour weeks. Love him or hate him, he has changed the world in which you live. So, let's count down the Top 5 Bill Gates moments. At No. 5, Bill lies to Altair. MITS, the makers of the Altair 8800, caught the eyes of young Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. Gates had the chutzpah to call MITS president Ed Roberts and sell him on the BASIC program he and Allen had written for the Altair. Roberts was sold--and Allen and Gates started writing code. 'Cause they didn't have a BASIC program for Altair. However, 8 weeks later they did. Coming in at No. 4, Bill is busted in New Mexico. Bill started receiving royalties from BASIC, enough that he could afford a Porsche 911 that he drove too fast. And hence one of the most famous Bill Gates pics on the Web. Giving nerds the world over hope that they too could get a Porsche and get arrested--someday. No. 3 is not as--dignified-?Bill gets pied. Admittedly, it wasn't a good day for Bill and he probably does not remember it fondly. But you have to realize you've become pretty important in the world when Belgians take the time to hit you in the face with a pie on worldwide television. I'm just sayin' Sliding in at No. 2. Bill copyrights DOS. Microsoft acquired and adapted 86-DOS for IBM and named it PC-DOS. IBM got it for a onetime fee of $80,000. But in a move reminiscent of George Lucas getting merchandising rights for Star Wars, Gates kept the copyright for DOS. When IBM clones hit the markets, Microsoft's future was made. Before we get to No. 1, let's check in on the back five of the best moments. Bill Gates denies he EVER said 640K oughtta be enough for anybody. And there's no evidence to contradict him. All right. Let's get to our No. 1. What we consider the best Bill gates moment in a career FULL of big moments. At No. 1, It's.... Windows 95. We struggled with this one. Should it be Windows 1.0? Windows 3? No. Windows 95 put Microsoft over the top. It's estimated they spent $300 million launching it too. They licensed the Rolling Stones "Start Me Up." They bathed the Empire State Building in Microsoft Colors. It was Bill's shining moment. Windows has absolutely dominated the desktop ever since. That's Bill Gates legacy. Well That's it for this edition of CNET Top 5. Mr. Gates--Thanks for your positive contributions, and we're glad you'll keep them coming with the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. Best of luck to you. I'm Tom Merritt. See you next time.